


My directions are distractions

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Jigsaw Puzzles, Kissing, Skye | Daisy Johnson's Superpowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 14:20:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3293579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ficlet drabble when I started thinking about Skye controlling her powers and Coulson being afraid he's losing her emotionally, and Skye being afraid she might be the cause of losing him physically.</p><p>Title from the song Reflections Are Protection by La Roux.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My directions are distractions

"It was May's idea, actually."

He didn't ask, but it was the right answer anyway.

She's using the desk she normally sits at in his office to carefully put the puzzle pieces together.

Watching for a moment, he sees her hand tremble. Or, maybe it's not her hand, maybe it's the pieces or the table?

He's not sure.

But whatever it is, she's practicing control and she's able to keep her focus.

"Is it frustrating?" he asks.

"Yes," she says, nodding at the nearby chair. "Sit down. Join in the fun."

Sighing for a moment, he looks out of the window, the rain sliding down the pane. He'd come in here to grab a few files to review before debrief tomorrow.

Well...

It's not like it can't wait.

Then he hears the record skipping behind him.

"Did you have music on?" he asks, turning, knowing the answer already.

"Yeah," she says, staring down at the table, moving the pieces around. "Forgot to flip it, though."

"Do you mind?"

"Go for it," she says. "I was using it as a distraction. I've been adding them, seeing if it will break my concentration."

"So something soothing, then," he says, flipping through the records.

"Whatever you think I can handle," she says, pushing herself back in the chair a little, looking at him.

He narrows his eyes a little, not sure what to make of that look. It's a little unreadable.

Or, her tone. A bit of challenge there.

Probably because he's been keeping his distance, letting May handle things.

Even though he's spent time with the Avengers, even though he knows what it's like for his body to rebel against him, Skye doesn't respond well when he's too involved right now.

It's like she has something to prove.

The music is middling, so as to neither offend or placate. Classic 60s rock.

She raises an eyebrow at the choice, but says nothing, as he comes back to sit down beside her.

All the edges are being connected, it's about halfway there. He looks at the box and sees it's a doozy.

Six thousand pieces depicting the creation of man. Sistene Chapel.

He looks at the box, annoyed, like it's an uninvted guest. "Who picked this out?"

His eyes raise to look at hers and he sees her watching his hands instead.

"You probably have your own ideas about how to do this," he says, pulling his hands back.

"Not really," she murmurs. "The edges first, then group the colors."

He silently start backs in and pulls together some of the darker pieces that seem to fit near one of the edges.

Even if she doesn't want to talk, he's content to just sit here in silence with her.

...

Okay, not as content as he thought.

"Things are going alright with May?"

His tone sounds a little timid, and she glances back at him.

"Yeah, as well as could be expected."

"I'm not used to my office being so quiet," he says, friendly, "Working together, we..."

He's on his best behavior when his hand touches hers for just a moment as they reach towards the same spot for another piece.

There's a vibration on the wood top for a moment, and he stares back at her, sees the panic there.

"It's fine," he starts. "We don't need to talk," he touches her elbow for just a moment, and the table starts to shake.

She abruptly stands up.

"Skye," he says, standing with her.

"I'm sorry," she says, backing away, shoving the chair out of her way. "I just..."

She walks out quickly as his eyes follow her path.

  
***

"I made a mistake."

May is standing across from his desk, serious expression, but he can see her hands are tense next to her sides.

"Don't blame yourself."

"Should've just observed, not interfered," he said, shrugging, then standing up. "That's why we did things the way we did, back when..."

"When HYDRA was in SHIELD? Stop it," May said, sternly, cutting him off.

He began to pace.

"You get too personal, and it starts to unravel, you start to trigger instead of help them build control, and..."

" _Phil!_ "

He stopped where he stood and stared back at her.

"You're almost as bad as she is," May huffed, through clenched teeth. " _One_ is enough."

Coulson frowned over at her, confused.

"And thank God only one of you has powers," she said, flopping down in the office chair across from his desk.

His shoulders relaxed slightly and he really looked at her then. She was exhausted.

"This has been hard on you," he began.

"I'm worn out," she said, exasperated. "I didn't join SHIELD to manage... _feelings_."

"You care about Skye," he went on, going for the scotch behind his desk. "As much as I do."

"I _care_ about Skye," she replied, leaning forward, resting her arms on her knees. "I'm not sure as much as you do. She doesn't want to be a liability, you know."

" _Skye_ is not a liability," he said, raising his voice.

"Exactly what I'm talking about," she said, shaking her head at him, as he lowered the glasses to the table.

"Explain," he said, pulling back quietly.

"Why did you chase her into the temple?" she blurted out. He didn't reply, so she took the scotch out of his hands and started to pour herself a drink.   
"Let's leave out the fact that as the Director of SHIELD, it wasn't exactly your finest moment."

He hadn't expected the conversation to take this turn.

"I couldn't let her face it alone," he said, sliding into the chair next to her.

"You went there to _die_ with her, Phil," May said, handing him a glass, before pouring one for herself.

Staring towards the open door, glass in hand, he loosened his focus for a moment, contemplated this. Of course he'd thought about it, but he'd never had to put it to words, explain it.

"I wasn't thinking about dying," he finally answered. "I was...hoping."

 "I'm _so_ not here for this."

"I wasn't going down there thinking that it was all over, May. I wasn't. What I saw when I died? What she is now? It's impossible, and yet, here we are."

"You're _in love_ with her, Phil," May groaned, pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose.

"Yes," he whispered, staring back at her, the admission felt strange, a little heady. "She can't ever know that."

May rolled her eyes and finished her glass in one drink.

  
***

He finds her flat on her back, on the roof, alone. Looking at up at the stars.

She doesn't acknowledge him at first, but breaks the silence for him.

"I've been so concerned about controlling myself, I didn't have the chance to tell you what I thought about your temple rescue plan."

"May already had plenty to say," he said wearily, looking over the rooftop, not sure where to put himself.

"I am so afraid of losing everything," she goes on, and he hears the slight crack in her voice and shuts his eyes for a moment, gathering himself.

"You're _not_ a liability, Skye."

"Words."

Her quick dismissal takes him off guard. It's so cynical and unlike her that it unnerves him.

"Is that what you think of me now?" he asks, before he's wishing he could take it back.

" _I'm dangerous_ ," she says, the same decided, cynical tone. "To pretend otherwise..."

"And I wasn't?" he interrupts, feeling frustrated he can't see her in the dark the way he wants to.

Kneeling down next to her, he can make out the line of her face with the moon reflecting off of it.

"It's not the same. You could be contained."

There's enough light for him to see it; that proud lift of her chin, when she's openly defying him.

"Skye. Look at me."

"I can't," she says, after a moment, then rolls to her side, away from him, and stands.

"Am I a distraction?" he says quickly, knowing he sounds desperate, as she tries to walk away.

That stops her in her tracks. "I don't think this is really the safest place for that discussion."

What she's suggesting sinks in. The roof. Her fears.

"What would be a safer place?"

  
***

The honeycomb room has vibranium walls.

His desire has never been to contain her. Far from it.

But, he _is_ a distraction to her.

Every bit as much as _she_ is to _him_.

It's fitting, he thinks for a moment, when he slides her onto the top of the table, how this was where they really first met. Had their first conversation.

" _Phil_."

The way she breathes his first name, it might be enough to do him in now. He wants this to be more, for her.

This was where he first convinced her he might actually be on her side. Where she convinced him that maybe he wasn't alone in this.

She's pressed her lips against his again, as he's struggling to reel in this explosion of feeling. Not just their bodies, but the way he loves her. It's almost like he's not enough to contain the expression of it.

Everything in him is on her side. _Everything_.

"Are you okay?" she asks, putting her hands against the sides of his face.

He touches her hair, her face, the way he's always wanted to. Unrestricted, instead of hesitating, hiding.

"I was thinking about how we met," he says, trying to catch his breath, his body struggling to keep pace with his imagination.

Skye runs her hands along his bare chest, her fingers over the hair there, then his scar as he sucks in air. Another, different, reminder of their connection.

It fills him with impulse, just like her admission he was a distraction did minutes ago. He grabs her tightly and kisses her deeply as she makes whining noises that unravel him, drawing him in more tightly between her thighs, so that he can't think or move again.

They're half-naked and this is slightly out of control.

And perfect.

"Did you want me then?"

Yes, he did. But she knows that, she knows what he wants right now. Her voice gives him that momentum.

"Yes," he rasps, starting to unbutton her jeans.

He works the denim partway down her thighs, with her help, and then stops to press his fingers into her as he whispers, "Yes. So much."

She arches from the eagerness of it and his lips are on her neck, then gliding over her collarbone. He bites down on that spot below her ear, thinking about her wetness, the shock that it's for him. He groans into her, humming it through her, sliding another finger inside and moving in time with his tongue pressed against her pulse.

" _Phil_."

He bends his fingers and as she pulls up against him, tightens, her hand begins stroking the back of his neck as she comes down, quietly.

Their eyes meet and she kisses him with a lazy smile, liberated in her release. She laughs for a moment then presses her palm against the front of his slacks and holds his mouth against hers as he jerks at the sensation.

" _Skye._ "

Her hand works against him even harder, as he finds himself grinding into her, his mouth opening to let her tongue push inside to meet his.

The jeans come down the rest of the way when she slips off her boots, and she walks him back onto one of the metal chairs resting against the wall.   
Unbelting and unzipping him, she kisses him all the while, settling on top of his lap, as he guides himself inside of her.

She finally makes a noise as she's filled with him. He can't restrain himself when she starts to move, and he's getting loud, between the soundproofed walls.

Gripping her hips like he's pleading with her, she moves more urgently against him, while he's watching her above, looking down, loving her feeling in control as he loses his own.

He says her name over and over again, and then she presses her hands against his shoulders, pushing him back against the chair as his hands tightly grasp the chair's arms. His body feels like it's humming and it takes him just a second to realize what she's doing. It pulls on him, through her, as he watches her eyes, huge and glistening, locked on his as they tremble together.

And he gives himself up silently, in awe.

His head hits the wall, as he takes in a deep breath, her head relaxing against his shoulder, as he peels his grip from the chair to stroke her back, down her spine, reveling in the weight of her bare body resting over his.

"We should have done this ages ago."

"Right now was a good time," he answers, catching his breath.

She sits up against him, looks at him curiously.

"I wasn't ready before," he admits, running his thumb along the line of her chin. "I was afraid. I'm sorry."

He can see her starting to retreat into herself, hand on his chest, running her fingers through his graying hair.

"When I used my...abilities, was that overwhelming, or..."

"I liked it," he said, slipping his hand over hers. "Very much."

Eyelashes fluttering, she tried to hide a pleased smile, as he drew her hand towards his mouth and kissed the tips of her fingers.

Taking in a breath, she looked up at him, as he held her hand against his face.

"Don't you know that I love you?"

"Yes," she sighed, as he kissed the top of her hand. "Well, just don't go getting yourself killed, got it?"

"We're both still here, aren't we?" he asked, guiding her fingers to run her thumb back and forth across his lower lip. "That's why I went after you."

She raised an eyebrow, as he kissed her palm, pressing her thumb into his mouth, as he bites down on it and she pulls it away with a laugh.

"Now look at us," he continued, chuckling, letting his hands settle onto her hips.

"You believed we'd make it out?" she said, turning serious again in a moment.

"I had to," he answered, staring back at her.

Kissing him gently, nuzzling at his mouth, she hovered in front of him, her face filling his vision.

"What now?"

"I have a debrief tomorrow," he answered, before tugging at her bottom lip. "Do you want to help me with that?"

He could feel her smiling against his mouth as she answered him with a kiss.


End file.
